Training of officers of combatant police units in the safe handling of weapons.

Rustamov Rustam Adilovich Head Teacher of Fire Training Department, Federal State Institution of the Additional Professional Education“Tyumen Institute of Qualification Advancing of the Interior Ministry of Russia” 625049, Russia, Tyumen region, Tyumen, Amurskaya str., 75 iddq@mail.ru Polyanskii Petr Georgievich Head Teacher of Fire Training Department, Federal State Institution of the Additional Professional Education“Tyumen Institute of Qualification Advancing of the Interior Ministry of Russia” 625049, Russia, Tyumen region, Tyumen, Amurskaya str., 75 zzdazzz@mail.ru

Nikolaev Nikolai Olegovich Associate Professor of Fire Training Department, Federal State Institution of the Additional Professional Education“Tyumen Institute of Qualification Advancing of the Interior Ministry of Russia” 625049, Russia, Tyumen region, Tyumen, Amurskaya str., 75 nn.snaiper86@rambler.ru

To the combatant police units, in particular, to the employees of the security and escort service (hereinafter referred to as the ACS), increased requirements are imposed in terms of the skills of using regular and service weapons.

One of the serious problems is the insufficient effectiveness of the actions of the employees of the ACS to ensure personal safety, in conditions associated with the use of physical force, special means and firearms.

Currently, there is no effective, detailed and perfect methodology that determines the algorithm of actions of police officers to comply with personal security measures when performing their official duties related to the protection and escort of persons accused, suspected of committing crimes of varying severity, in cases of a threat to life and health. There are no universal methodological recommendations that could be used in the service training of the personnel of the ACS, cadets and students of educational organizations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia to improve professional skills aimed at ensuring personal safety.

All these circumstances have led to the need for scientific research in the field of improving the methods of fire training of ACS employees, in order to acquire the necessary professional competencies that allow them to perform professional duties at a high level, while ensuring personal safety.

Based on the results of the study, methodological recommendations have been prepared for training the personnel of the ACS in the safe handling of weapons, as well as its use in emergency situations arising when performing official tasks using special vehicles for transporting suspects and accused.

The methodological recommendations are intended for the training of ACS personnel within the framework of professional service and physical training of the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, however, they can also be used by other units, including during enhanced (special) fire training, to improve professionally significant skills.

Bringing the necessary complex of professional qualities to automatism is possible on the basis of an optimal selection of means, methods and forms of training, a high level of practical and methodological readiness of teachers, inspectors and instructors of territorial internal affairs bodies, as well as improving the quality and effectiveness of training sessions.

Underestimating the danger, the possibility of unexpected occurrence of extreme factors, unacceptable relaxation of employees, in the performance of official duties, can lead to loss of health or life. The number of losses and the severity of injuries and injuries of personnel, two-thirds depend on the integrity and professional readiness of the employees themselves.

The analysis of statistics on the use of firearms by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia showed that one of the features of the use of service weapons in countering criminals is the tactics of its use. Police officers have to use weapons after physical exertion, when there is a real threat of an armed attack from criminals, after reloading weapons, after eliminating delays in shooting. In training and improving the skills and abilities of police officers, careful preparation for the use of firearms is required.

The implementation of effective forceful or armed suppression of dangerous actions of offenders is traditionally one of the most difficult tasks and at the same time acute problems in the activities of a police officer. Employees are injured and maimed as a result of illiterate actions while suppressing illegal actions of offenders. These facts are confirmed by the materials of official investigations related to the use of special means, physical force and firearms. 

One of the reasons for the inept actions of the personnel in extreme situations of official activity is the low level of individual professional readiness of the employee to perform official duties. This leads to non-compliance with the requirements of the regulatory legal documents of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia regulating the professional activities of police officers.

It should be noted that insufficient attention is currently being paid to the training of police officers in security measures in the performance of official duties. The normative documents, textbooks, curricula and dissertation research contain sections and topics that affect the issues of tactical and special training and ensuring the personal safety of police officers when performing their duties, both on duty and off-duty.

It is possible to achieve a reduction in cases of injury to health and death of employees of internal affairs bodies, if they are trained in the necessary skills and skills to ensure personal safety. Such training should be continuous and comprehensive.

Individual tactical training in compliance with personal security measures is one of the main types of readiness of employees to perform official duties.

During the fire training classes, situations related to the attack of offenders on employees using weapons and other objects with which it is possible to injure an employee should be worked out. Techniques for forceful suppression of various illegal actions and detention of offenders, including in conditions related to operational and official activities, should also be practiced. For example, one of the key points is the need for ACS employees to work, near or in a special vehicle for transporting suspects and accused, on the use of combat hand-held small arms by an employee from a car when repelling an armed attack, or the need to use weapons near a car that, based on its size and location on the ground, may represent, as a shelter for an employee (at least from possible surveillance of him), and to be an obstacle for an employee during the repulse of an attack. 

The most important component in the training of police officers is fire training. The development of strong skills in handling weapons, the ability to effectively conduct fire in conditions as close as possible to the real situation, the formation of appropriate moral and psychological qualities for actions in emergency circumstances - all this is necessary for confident possession of weapons when performing official tasks.

The manual on fire training, approved by the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated 11/23/2017 No. 880, contains exercises for shooting from various positions: standing, lying down from the stop, from the knee; day and night; after physical exertion; with a time limit; performing high-speed shooting after the sudden appearance of a target in conditions of limited opportunity for aiming ("offhand"); shooting from the spot and after moving on emerging and moving targets day and night; high-speed shooting from the car interior on a moving target; high-speed shooting after moving with a change of magazine; rapid-fire shooting at stationary targets after their sudden appearance, with the transfer of fire along the front (i.e., the target: the figure of a criminal with a hostage); rapid-fire shooting with a given zone of destruction, after the sudden appearance of the target, which allows you to effectively use firearms when performing operatively-service tasks. In addition, the above Instruction allows the teaching staff of educational organizations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia to independently develop shooting exercises, which can optimize the process of training the personnel of the ACS units, taking into account the general level of preparedness of employees, the presence and level of teaching (instructor) staff, material and technical base and, importantly, the features of service in a particular division.

According to the authors of the study, in the process of fire training, it is necessary to fix the optimal methods of positioning firearms among the personnel of the ACS unit, since this increases the degree of readiness of employees to respond to danger.

Another important aspect is the employee's voice during training on the use of weapons. This may be not only the need to comply with the requirements of the Federal Law "On Police", in the form of commands and warnings (for example: "Stop! The police! I will shoot!"), but also the minimum necessary communication between the convoy staff, such as: status request; information exchange; senior squad commands, etc.

The mobility of the employee is also important - the ability to move correctly and leave the line of attack (line of fire), to take a safe position, while skillfully handling weapons during service and at the time of its use.

All of the above is worked out, first of all, in training without firing (at idle), in order to consolidate the correct action skills of the trainees, then firing from combat hand-held small arms is carried out on a prepared target environment that simulates typical situations during an attack. 

For such training, special standards have been developed for the handling of weapons for the personnel of the ACS units.

Employees of the ACS units must possess tactical techniques and methods of action with the use of means of physical restraint at the level of automatism – motor skill. The formation of a motor skill is possible with repeated performance of a motor action – a standard. The normative legal acts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia do not establish standards reflecting the acquisition of skills necessary for the safe possession of firearms during the performance of official tasks.

During the training, the personnel must learn how to correctly perform one or another standard for the elements at first at a slow pace, then proceed to working out the standard as a whole, after that - to intensive training.

In the course of training, intermediate time standards can be set that correspond to the level of training of personnel, in such a way as to ensure the fulfillment of the standards proposed by us by the planned deadline.

The learning of standards can be provided in the process of training employees of the ACS units in educational organizations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and in the centers of professional training of territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia according to the programs of professional training, advanced training, of the specified category of employees within the framework of mastering the sections "Fire training".

Successful shooting training and achieving high results in the fire training of employees are impossible without the availability of modern educational and material base: firing camps, shooting ranges and shooting ranges, tactical ranges, training facilities, methodological and visual aids.

The educational and material base should ensure high-quality classes in all sections of fire training, the possibility of conducting multiple trainings in shooting training, including with equipment, in conditions and situations that maximally repeat situations that have arisen and (or) situations that may arise with a high degree of probability during the performance of specific operational and service tasks, to ensure effective use of study time.

The development of special shooting exercises for the personnel of the ACS units, reflecting the specifics of the service of the specified category of employees, does not contradict the current order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia dated 11/23/2017 No. 880 "On approval of the Manual on the organization of fire training in the internal affairs bodies of the Russian Federation" item 84. The exercises should include situations, including with vehicles.

When developing special exercises reflecting the peculiarities of service by the employees of the ACS units, it is recommended to take into account the peculiarities of firing with the use of special vehicles, the possibilities and features when using it as a shelter and (or) a tactical element. At the same time, the targets, the basic conditions (except for the shooting position) and the procedure for performing shooting exercises may remain the same as provided for in the above-mentioned Manual on the organization of fire training in the internal affairs bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

In case of fire contact for shelter from the damaging effects of enemy bullets, the car can naturally be used as a shelter. Practice shows that the bodies (interior area) of modern cars are penetrated through with automatic and rifle bullets, including weapons in civilian circulation, as well as pistol bullets. In this regard, it is not recommended, hiding from enemy bullets, to take the preparation in the area of the car interiors.

Protection can only be provided by massive parts (wheels, rear axles, wheel hubs), in the area of the front wheel, protection is provided by the wheels, as well as the engine block, a less reliable place is the rear wheel area.

When shooting from behind a car from the side, several ways of manufacturing and positioning for shooting are common. Below, as an example, some of these manufacturing options are given: 

Figure 2 shows the firing position "Standing behind the front wheel". The protection of the employee is provided by the wheels, as well as the engine block. 

          – on the stomach (at the same time, the shooter is well covered, but the field of view and firing and the possibility of firing are limited) (Fig. No. 3);  – lying on his side with both feet on the wheel (turning slightly to the side, depending on the direction of firing and observation) ;

    (fig. No. 4)

          – from the knee behind the front wheel. At the same time, the employee has a good overview (Fig. No. 5), but it is worse covered, since the upper part of the engine compartment skin will easily break through with enemy striking fire. When shooting from the knee behind the front wheel, the knee should rest against the ground towards the middle of the car, which will not allow the employee to "fall out" from behind the shelter in case of injury or even loss of consciousness. (Fig. No. 5)

         There are many options described above for making shooting. The use of one or the other depends on the current situation. Since the car is not a reliable shelter, it can be considered as a temporary nearest shelter.

Modeling of typical situations of practical activity of employees of ACS departments is one of the missing areas in professional training and education of those professional competencies that will allow performing assigned operational and service tasks at a high level. It is the modeling of typical situations that makes it possible to more closely link theoretical knowledge with practical activity, namely their application in reality.

An analysis of the professional training of employees of the internal affairs bodies indicates that they are not always able to transfer theoretical knowledge into practical activity, and when any extreme situations arise involving a threat to life and health, employees often fall into a stupor, or commit a number of disordered actions, which does not lead to a professional solution to the situation. 

Improving the professional practical training of employees of internal affairs bodies, involves: ensuring its completeness (practical preparation for the performance of basic professional functions); its integrity (readiness to perform not only individual actions, but also complete activities from the initial stage to the final result). Therefore, one of the solutions to this problem is the modeling of situations of practical activity in professional training (vocational training) of employees of internal affairs bodies.

Modeling of typical situations of practical activity in vocational training is such a direction in the training of employees that gives them a correct and accurate idea of their professional activities, and also allows them to acquire certain professional skills that are aimed at ensuring the fulfillment of their duties related to the exclusion of negative consequences that threaten the safety of both citizens and themselves employees of the internal affairs bodies. This direction in professional training ensures a smooth transition from training to the actual performance of their duties.

When modeling typical situations, it is necessary to apply exactly those situations that will be associated with the professional activities of employees. Mandatory modeling is subject to: uniforms and equipment, including the location of equipment on the employee; the number and personnel of the convoy performing the functions of protection and escort; places and conditions at all stages of protection and escort; possible attack options both from the escorted and from outsiders.

The conducted research revealed the need to develop a unified approach to the methodology of teaching tactical methods of using firearms in typical situations of operational and service activities.

The study was conducted in two main areas:

- the first direction is connected with the study of methods of training law enforcement officers to use firearms competently and safely (for others, including for other employees who are part of the convoy) during the performance of official tasks;

- identification and development of typical situations of the use of firearms by employees of the security and escort units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia using special vehicles.

Based on the results of the study, the author's team came to the conclusion that the existing training methods only partially meet the modern requirements of professional training of the personnel of the ACS units. The author's training methodology will significantly increase the level of training of this category of employees to perform official tasks with firearms.